The Hunt
by Ribeiro1986
Summary: The Episode 'The Hunt' with a different ending (episode AU)


**Despite of having the same tittle, this story is actually a retelling of the episode 'The Hunt' but with a different ending and a little inspiration to the movie Revenant (the one in which Dicaprio won the oscar)**

**Hope you like it.**

**Please, enjoy**

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**THE HUNT**

As he walked back home, John-Boy couldn't have felt more guilty and ashamed of himself for not having shot that turkey. And as much as his father had assured him that not shooting the turkey hadn't made him a coward, he still felt like he should have done something about it.

Annoyed, he rested for a moment on a fallen tree nearby, taking the weight off his twisted foot which was in immense pain. As he sat down, he threw his weapon to the side, not wanting to look at it. He was deep in thought, still annoyed with himself, when a noise startled him. Carefully, he stood up, ignoring the pain in his foot. He glanced around the surrounding trees, wondering what he had heard, hoping it was just a fox or beaver. Some creature making it's way home. But then he heard something again. Louder this time. And behind him. He turned slowly, just to came face with face with an enormous monstrous bear, breathing heavily, staring right at John-Boy, as if staring into his soul.

Paling, his hands starting to tremble, the older Walton brother started to back away slowly as the bear stood and watched him. But then the bear took a step forward, looking tall as a giant on it's massive hind legs. Frightened, John-Boy started to run as fast as possible, despite the pain in his foot. But the bear was much faster and, seeing it's prey start to scramble away from it only made the bear more eager for its meal. After only a few seconds of frantic running, a huge paw came out of nowhere, slamming onto John-Boy's back, sending him sprawling to the ground. Then, the bear came forward and stepped on John-Boy's leg. He heard a crack and his vision grew black and sparkly.

''Get off!'' John-Boy yelled, even though he knew it was pointless. "Help!" he cried frantically. He tried to hit the bear on the muzzle, but that only resulted in an angry snapping of jaws, crushing two of John-Boy's fingers. Panicked, pain flooded through his hand and leg, as well as the sheer weight of the bear as it leered over him. John-Boy began to pray, though whether for his own life for the bear to kill him quick, he wasn't sure.

_/_

Not far from where the boy and the bear were fighting, John and his two compatriots who had continued on with the hunt were returning down the mountain after just shot one of the biggest turkeys ever. He was worried about John-Boy, as he knew his son's pride was too high to be shushed with a few words of comfort, but he hoped that his son would learn in the end that his father was still very proud of him.

Suddenly, the three of them stopped as a loud roar reached their ears, followed by a cry of help that made John's blood run cold.

''What is it?'' Sam asked.

''Somebody is in danger,'' David said, stating the obvious.

''It's that bear!'' Sam exclaimed.

John was silent for a moment, fright running through him. He knew that yell. He knew that voice. "John-Boy," he said. And he started to run as fast as he could towards the cries of help and roars of a hungry bear.

_/_

John-Boy was struggling against the bear, his arms weakening fast from trying to hold the bear off of him. It seemed like it had been going on for hours but he knew it could've only been a few seconds otherwise he'd be dead already.

As fast as they could, John and his friends tore through the trees just to spot the bear attacking the teenager. Anger stole over John as he saw his son struggling against the beast and so, without second thought, John aimed his gun and, with hands surprisingly steady, he shot the bear once, twice, then three times till it fell to the ground. Dead.

Still panting deeply, his hands shaking once again, John pulled the dead animal away from his son and took John-Boy into his arms, his heart racing with fear.

''John-Boy? Son? Its Daddy, answer me,'' he called anxiously.

''Daddy…'' John-Boy mumbled, pain washing all over his body.

''Easy, son, easy,'' John smiled down at his son, relieved that he was alive. ''I'm here with you. We're gonna take you to the doctor right away.''

''What – What will Grandpa say,'' John-Boy muttered weakly, making John laugh.

''Grandpa will be proud that you faced that bear all by yourself,'' he said and in response, John-Boy smiled weakly before gladly letting the darkness engulf him.

_/_

Carefully, the three men carried the boy back to the truck parked by the road and drove him straight to the local hospital where a doctor could take care of him. The encounter with the bear had earned John-Boy a broken arm and leg as well as a broken rib and a few scrapes. Luckily though, there seemed to be no internal bleeding from the weight of the bear and the breaks in the leg and arm were clean, meaning that he would make a slow but full recovery. Still, it didn't stop Olivia from freaking out as soon as she reached the hospital and she began to yell at John about letting the kids hunt with him.

''I can't believe you let him go with you, John!'' Liv said angrily. "He's still a boy! And you knew that it could be dangerous and you let him go anyway. He's just a boy, John!'' she repeated.

''He chose to go; he wanted to prove that he was old enough. I wouldn't have been able to stop him anyways. And I'll admit, I was terrified when I saw it happening. I wish I would've stopped him, or at least tried. But I couldn't and most likely, if he wants to, I won't be able to stop Jason next year neither,'' John said.

Olivia sighed, her eyes watering, and she began to pace. ''Just – next time think about what could have happened if you hadn't reached John-Boy in time,'' she said and she left the waiting room, moving to attend to her son, anger still coursing through her but slightly muted by worry for her eldest boy.

_/_

John-Boy remained in the hospital for almost two weeks, but to the family's relief, he seemed to be in high spirits. Though the injuries were quite painful, he was able to move around, and he had to admit, it gave him plenty of time to read and write. Also, to Olivia's relief, John-Boy declared that that was going to be his first and last experience with hunting. And though it had been one of the craziest, and probably the most harrowing, experiences of his life, he decided it would make a fantastic story.

_/_

Later one night, when John-Boy had been home for a week or so, Jason called to his grandpa before heading to sleep.

''Grandpa, are you going hunting tomorrow?'' he asked.

''Think I will, Jason. Why?''

''Can I join you?''

''Of course son, just let me see if we can find a bear for you to face,'' the old man laughed.

''If your intention is to give me a heart attack, go right ahead,'' Olivia said, annoyed from her's and John's room.

''Sorry, Mama, it's not. Good night!'' Jason called to his mother quickly. ''G'night, Grandpa.''

''Good night, Jason. And I believe you'll make a very good hunter.'' Saying that the old man closed his eyes and soon, the entire house was asleep.

**END**


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